Bawa garba

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/uk-england-leicestershire-42816913

Anyone following this story?

Thoughts?

Summary for those that can't be arsed reading.

A 6 year old died whilst in the care of this doctor under strenuous circumstances e.g. Covering for 3 other doctors including consultant, an adult trained nurse looking after the child, hospital it system down, parents administering child's regular medication despite deliberately not being prescribed.

Was handed a 2 year suspended sentence for manslaughter by gross neglect.

Gmc independent tribunal decided to suspend her license until end of suspended sentence.

Gmc appealed the tribunals decision at high court and she's has been struck off.

Some thoughts..

1. It is a terrible tragedy and my heart goes out to the Parents.

2. The child will probably not be the only tragedy with the woefully inadequate funding on offer.

3. The Doctor had to be struck off...though one has sympathy with her lack of support...

4. NHS staff are doing good work in terrible conditions and should be appreciated more by this Government..

5. Free healthcare and not healthcare based on the ability to pay is a truly magnificent concept which means the NHS is rightfully looked up to by other Countries..

5. Seems like the Tories are bleeding it dry to promote a US healthcare system which would be a big mistake...

6. Don't vote Conservative...

The problem with medics is that the consequences of ther mistakes can be terrible, and yet everyone can make mistakes.

Dunno. Article (and those linked from it) don't really support some of what you say re. conditions on the ward at the time - you have inside knowledge? General clinical staffing levels are clearly at a crisis point.

Should she be struck off? Maybe, but if there was significant fault with her Trust for causing the conditions leading to her error(s), that's a slightly different thing. Perhaps she should sue them?

http://54000doctors.org/blogs/an-account-by-concerned-uk-paediatric-consultants-of-the-tragic-events-surrounding-the-gmc-action-against-dr-bawa-garba.html

I think the issue is the courts findings. Nothing the gmc can do really if you are found guilty of causing a death via gross negligence other than erase your registration.

'Tis true. But the difficulty comes in deciding if we are happy that a court of law and it's jury has sufficient understanding to be competent to judge a case such as this - and that is an impossible question. I can however only feel for someone who was potentially put in an impossible situation and then blamed when things go wrong.

We don't know all the circumstances or the interpretation given to the evidence in the trial, but it does feel bad that some of the evidence is down to what the doctor herself wrote as part of the process in determining what went wrong. It is like saying if she had lied in her report and put the blame elsewhere she would not be in this position.

I do occasionally wonder if the name, skin colour and head dress have contributed to this but it is probably best not to go there.

I think the only place race may have come into it is with regards to the family's referral to the police - and that is probably unfair on a grieving family.

Otherwise the hospitals own investigation and gmcs tribunal found systemic issues to blame.

Openness and honestly has been encouraged and (it is my understanding) doctors have to write about errors and their learning from them in their portfolio. This was used as evidence against her. That is dead as a learning tool if it will be admissible in court.

I see in the news the results of an inquiry into low salt levels has come out and the staff have been criticised for not being open and honest - you can't win!!

Professionals can't be above the law, however can a jury of lay persons truly understand and make sound judgement on areas requiring high levels of training and specialist knowledge?

That's why you bring in experts to educate the jury.

But it's no different from them having no real understanding of forensic techniques etc in other trials.

Ent wrote:http://54000doctors.org/blogs/an-account-by-concerned-uk-paediatric-consultants-of-the-tragic-events-surrounding-the-gmc-action-against-dr-bawa-garba.html

I think the issue is the courts findings. Nothing the gmc can do really if you are found guilty of causing a death via gross negligence other than erase your registration.

Thanks for the link Ent. Interesting read. Only thing I would ask is if there's a professional responsibility to say 'No' at any point when continually being asked to cover for X, Y and Z etc. Who gave the lad the elanapril??

Re. the Court's findings, perhaps that comes down to the Barristers. If you get a poor one vs. a good one for the prosecution, your goose is a little cooked. Based on the info in that link, it's a little hard to see why she and the nurse are carrying the can on their own. If anything, I would have thought it's the Trust management that ought to have faced a manslaughter charge.